Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida (18 page)

They all looked at her expectantly. “Well?”

Amanda looked relieved. “Sure, Timmy, but you need to behave and do what you’re told.”

“He’s a good boy, aren’t you, Timmy?” Jerry’s dad looked down at the child.

“Uh-huh.” Timmy beamed up at Jerry’s dad. “Where are we hunting for treasure?”

“How should I know? We have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get going.”

Jerry’s throat tightened at the touching sight of his dad taking the little boy’s hand and walking away from the shop. When he turned toward Amanda, he could tell she felt it, too.

She blinked. “Don’t keep him too long, okay?”

“Trust me,” Jerry said. “We’ll be back very soon.”

His mother decided to head back to the condo, while Jerry tagged along with his dad and Timmy. It had been a long time since he’d seen his dad so animated and…well, happy. He had to admit, Timmy was very cute and funny—even when he referred to Jerry’s dad as “Old Man,” which made his dad howl with laughter. But it didn’t sound good, so Jerry intervened.

“Let’s think of a different nickname, okay?” Jerry suggested.

His dad’s smile changed to a scowl. “What’s wrong with what he’s calling me? I think it’s cute.”

“How about Gramps?” Jerry offered.

Timmy looked up at his dad. “Want me to call you Gramps?”

Jerry’s dad shrugged, made a face at Jerry, then looked down at Timmy and grinned. “Sure, why not.” He hung back for a moment then snickered. “In fact, I kind of like it. Gramps. Yeah, that’s a good name for me.”

Jerry suspected his dad had had a moment of reflection about how his own grandkids rarely came around. Timmy was like a substitute grandchild, and he figured his dad was probably the closest thing Timmy had to a grandparent. From what he could tell, this was a winwin relationship.

For the next hour, Jerry listened to Timmy and “Gramps” talk about all the possible places pirates could have buried their treasure. It could be in the sand or behind the Windjammer Hotel. Or it could even be in one of the many stores lining both sides of the main road.

“It might take us all summer to find it,” Gramps said.

Jerry cleared his throat. “We’re only going to be here a couple more weeks, Dad.”

Timmy looked at Gramps with obvious disappointment. “You’re leaving? How will I find the treasure if you’re not here?”

“We’ll figure out something.” Gramps tossed Jerry a look of extreme disapproval, making Jerry slink back a few paces. He felt like a heel, but he didn’t want his dad making promises he couldn’t keep to this little boy. Based on what he’d seen, Timmy had had more than his share of disappointment in life. Like Amanda.

After a couple of blocks of treasure hunting, Timmy looked up at Gramps. “I’m hungry.”

“Then let’s eat. Whaddya want?”

“Um, Dad, what if Amanda has plans for Timmy’s lunch?”

His dad gestured with a flick of the wrist. “Call her and tell her we’re taking Timmy to lunch.”

He pulled out his cell phone and found Amanda’s number in his directory. She answered on the second ring and said it was fine for them to grab a bite to eat and then continue looking for treasure. “To be honest, I didn’t even expect Timmy until after lunch anyway, so I wasn’t sure what to do.” She paused then added, “You saved me. Thanks.”

“My pleasure,” he replied then snapped his phone shut, hoping she didn’t detect the sarcasm that had slipped out.

They stopped off for hamburgers and fries. Jerry rarely ate fast food, but he would have been willing to bet it was standard fare for the little boy.

After lunch, they walked around a little more, and his dad ducked into a store to look for a treasure chest similar to what Jerry had picked up during the festival. Apparently they were mass-produced, because it didn’t take more than five minutes to find one. He handed it to Timmy. “I think that’s a replica of what we’re looking for.”

“Wow!” Timmy rubbed his tiny fingers over it then slipped it into his pocket. “This is cool!”

They finally made a circle and came back to Amanda’s store. As he pushed the door open, the sight at the counter gave him a stomachache.

Amanda and that guy…what’s his name—Matthew? Whatever it was, they were standing very close, their heads together, looking at something in what appeared to be a magazine or catalog. He felt as if the earth had shifted beneath him, but that was ridiculous. She could put her head next to any guy she wanted. When she heard the door, she quickly glanced up and waved.

“Hey, Jerry.” She leaned to the side and looked behind him. “Where’s Timmy?”

“He’s coming.” Jerry couldn’t keep the gruffness out of his voice. At the moment, he wanted to strangle Matthew.

Matthew stepped back from the counter and turned to face him, a smile plastered on that too-tan face. “Hey, man, it’s cool that you and your folks took care of Timmy. Amanda’s been telling me all about him. Poor kid.”

“Yeah, poor kid.” At the moment, Jerry was too busy feeling sorry for himself and wanting to punch Matthew, but he didn’t want Amanda to know. Jealousy was never attractive—and it was something he’d never dealt with before. What an odd feeling.

Matthew took the opportunity to close the catalog and head for the back room to get his stuff. Jerry edged up to the counter to wait for his dad and Timmy, who were lollygagging outside but within view. He tried hard to act casual, like it didn’t matter that she was very chummy with a pretty boy.

“So, how’d it go?” Amanda asked. “Find any treasure?”

“My dad bought him a treasure chest like the one I got him.” He knew he still sounded surly, but he couldn’t let his feelings keep him from talking to her.

She tilted her head and studied him then blinked as she looked right past him. “Call me with the item numbers, Matthew. I’ll get whatever you think we need.”

Matthew waved as he sauntered out of the store. “See ya, Amanda. Hope to see you around again soon, Jerry.”

“Likewise.” Jerry waved then turned back to Amanda, who had a very odd expression on her face.

Jerry was acting weird and not at all like himself. Amanda wasn’t sure but he didn’t seem to like Matthew, and there wasn’t any reason she could see. They’d barely met, and Matthew had been polite. In fact, she’d never seen Matthew on such good behavior. Guys could be so weird.

“Did Timmy give you any trouble?” Amanda asked, hoping to break the icy chill in the room.

“None whatsoever. He and my dad got along great.”

“Well, that’s good,” she said. “I’m glad Timmy has a grandfather type in his life.”

“Yeah, in fact, he now calls my dad Gramps.”

Amanda laughed. “That’s cute!”

She watched as he visibly relaxed and glanced outside. “Today was good for him. For the first time in ages, he actually seemed happy. Ever since my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he’s been angry.”

“I can imagine,” she said. “I probably would be, too.”

“Mom managed to keep him from snapping until she found out she had Parkinson’s. Now it’s all I can do to keep them from barking at each other every second they’re awake.”

“Getting old is rough.” Amanda thought about her own mother. “My mom is a bit younger than your parents, but she’s not dealing with aging well, either.”

Timmy and Harold still hadn’t come inside. They stood outside the shop, chatting away, clearly engrossed in a conversation they both enjoyed.

“Might as well make yourself comfortable.” Amanda gestured toward the stool. “Looks like they’re not ready to say good-bye.”

Jerry did as he was told. “It’s the strangest thing. Who would’ve thought that a little boy would be what my dad needed?”

She watched the elderly man pat Timmy on the shoulder, as if consoling him for something. Then she turned back to Jerry. “Looks like it works both ways. I’m really glad they met.”

“Yeah, it’s too bad we only have a couple of weeks left here.”

Amanda instantly felt a sensation of dread as it washed over her. She loved being around Jerry, in spite of the promise she’d made to herself not to fall for another guy. And in a more respectful way, he was doing the same thing that both her father and Eric had done. He was leaving. No surprise. It wasn’t as though she didn’t know before letting herself get this way.

Finally Timmy and Harold finished their conversation and came into the store. Timmy held out the little plastic brown toy treasure chest.

“Looky what Gramps got me!”

Amanda took it, turned it over in her hand, winked at Harold, then smiled at Timmy. “How nice! Did you find any other treasure?”

Timmy made a face and shook his head. “Not yet, but Gramps said he’ll take me out hunting again.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun!”

Harold patted Timmy on the back. “I guess I gotta go home and take my nap, champ. When you get as old as me, you gotta do stuff like that.”

Timmy rolled his eyes and nodded conspiratorially. “Yeah, me, too. My daddy says when I don’t get a nap, I’m a real bear.”

Harold held his hands up like claws and growled. Timmy jumped then burst into laughter before he mimicked Harold. Amanda looked at Jerry, who stood by the door shaking his head.

“C’mon, Dad, we need to get back so Mom doesn’t worry about us.”

“Bye, Gramps!” Timmy waved until Harold turned and followed Jerry out the door.

Once they were gone, Timmy’s shoulders lifted then sagged. “I like Gramps. He’s funny.”

“What did you two talk about?”

He quickly shrugged. “Just stuff.”

“Stuff?”

“Yeah, you know, like treasures and pirates and bicycles and God and stuff like that.”

“And God?” Amanda questioned.

Timmy nodded. “I told him Daddy was mad at God ‘cuz Mommy died. But I like to go to church—’specially Sunday school.”

“I’m sorry, Timmy.”

Suddenly, Timmy lit up. “Gramps said he’d take me, if it’s all right with Daddy.”

Amanda smiled. She was glad Timmy had a nice time, but it was getting close to time to go home, and she hadn’t heard a word from her sister.

“What time did your dad say they were coming back?”

“I don’t know,” Timmy replied as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked sleepy.

“I’ll call my sister.” Amanda lifted the phone and punched in Lacy’s cell phone number. No answer. She should have expected that.

“Why don’t you go in the back room and sit in the beanbag? I have some bicycle magazines you can look at.”

“Okay.” He hung his head as he did as he was told. In no time, she didn’t hear a peep from the back room, so she ducked her head into the room to see if he was okay and found him fast asleep in the middle of her overstuffed, twenty-year-old, neon-green beanbag chair.

The next hour passed with still no word from Lacy and Brad. Finally, fifteen minutes after closing time, she gently tapped Timmy on the shoulder. He made a sound, but he was so tired, he didn’t awaken.

“Hey, Timmy, sweetie, let’s go to my house. Your daddy isn’t here yet, and I need to go home and cook dinner.”

He opened his sleepy eyes and gave her a dazed look. “I’m hungry.”

“If your daddy doesn’t come soon, you can eat with me, okay?” She reached for his hand.

He nodded and let her help him to a standing position. Amanda had walked to work, so it took them awhile to get to her house, with Timmy shuffling his feet from exhaustion. Jerry and his dad had clearly worn him out.

Finally, an hour after Amanda and Timmy got home, Lacy and Brad showed up. “I am so sorry,” Lacy said. “We went out in the boat, and I completely lost track of time. You should have been there, Amanda. It was beautiful!” She sniffed the air. “Did you cook spaghetti?”

“Yes, and I fed Timmy,” Amanda replied. “I bet it won’t be too hard to get him to go to sleep tonight. He’s been a very busy little boy today.”

“C’mon, sport,” Brad said as he took his son’s hand. “Let’s go home and get you ready for bed.”

Timmy obediently followed his dad out the door, pausing only to say good-bye to Amanda. As soon as they were gone, Lacy danced and twirled around the living room.

“I think I’m in love!”

“Um…Lacy, how long have you known Brad?” Amanda was pretty sure it hadn’t been more than a couple of weeks.